A judge has halted the installation of two towering Catholic saint statues on Quincy’s new public-safety building, citing legal concerns over religion and government separation.

The $175 million facility, set to be Quincy’s newest city asset, is now at the center of a legal fight after a state court barred its featured 10-foot statues of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian from being installed, as NC Register reports.

On October 14, Massachusetts Judge William Sullivan issued a 26-page ruling against the city’s plan, declaring that the statues of the two saints “patently endorse Catholic beliefs” and could send a message that government favors one religion.

ACLU Lawsuit Triggers Legal Battle Over Statues

The court case began when 15 Quincy residents, with the backing of the ACLU of Massachusetts, filed a lawsuit back in May challenging the statues’ inclusion on constitutional grounds. They argued the taxpayer-funded display amounted to a religious endorsement, prohibited by law.

Rachel Davidson, a staff attorney representing the plaintiffs, argued during a September hearing that locating the statues at the entrance to city offices violated the Massachusetts Constitution. She claimed the presence of the saints sent "a message" that undercut religious neutrality in government.

“This ruling affirms the bedrock principle that our government cannot favor one religion above others," Davidson said following the court's decision. The statement reflects an increasingly rigid interpretation of secularism that often discounts the historical traditions of many communities.

Mayor Defends Statues As Symbolic, Not Sectarian

Mayor Thomas Koch, who approved the statues as part of the design, was quick to push back on the ruling and announced the city will appeal. He stated plainly that the intention was to honor police officers and firefighters, not endorse religion.

“We chose the statues of Michael and Florian to honor Quincy’s first responders, not to promote any religion,” Koch said. “These figures are recognized symbols of courage and sacrifice in police and fire communities across the world.”

It’s tough to argue with that. Both saints are widely known among first responders—St. Michael is the traditional patron of police, and St. Florian of firefighters. That makes them relevant symbols, whether or not someone lights a candle in their honor.

City Plans to Appeal State-Level Decision

The city’s legal counterattack will likely move through the Massachusetts court system, and ultimately could land before the state’s highest court. That body has its own take on the First Amendment, based not only on familiar federal standards, but a twist unique to Massachusetts law.

The case leans on the so-called “Lemon test,” a three-pronged secular purpose test long used in church-state cases. Massachusetts adds a fourth requirement—avoiding divisive political consequences—just in case the other three weren't ambiguous enough.

Ironically, the U.S. Supreme Court tossed the Lemon test in 2022 during the Kennedy v. Bremerton decision. But Massachusetts, ever the holdout in progressive orthodoxy, continues to apply it, creating a legal time warp where rejecting tradition is favored over common sense.

Judge Sullivan’s ruling echoed that sentiment, stating that the two statues “represent two Catholic saints” and therefore imply religious endorsement. That’s a strict reading for what most people see as solemn tributes to bravery, not Sunday-school statues.

Statues Come With a Price, but So Does Legalism

The bronze figures, which cost around $850,000, were set to be placed outside the building this October. The project is part of a $175 million investment in the city’s public-safety infrastructure that includes both police headquarters and administrative offices for the fire department.

At that scale, city leaders argue the cost of two statues honoring the people who risk their lives daily is minor—and fitting. But opponents, driven by ideological rigidity, see religious meaning lurking behind every traditional symbol.

There was a time when honoring police and fire heroes with cultural or religious symbols wasn’t seen as a constitutional crisis. Today, it’s a legal flashpoint wrapped in polished bronze.

Case May Set Precedent in Post-Lemon Era

If the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court eventually hears the appeal, it will mark the first major church-state case in the state since the U.S. high court scrapped the Lemon test. Depending on how it plays out, the ruling could reshape how Massachusetts grapples with religion in government settings.

For now, the installation remains on hold. The lawsuit has become broader than two statutes—it’s about how public institutions acknowledge the people who safeguard them and whether cultural values once shared by many can endure in public spaces.

In the meantime, Quincy’s first responders will continue protecting the city, saints or no saints, watching from above. Whether that’s good enough for the courts—or the citizens—is the next chapter in this unfolding saga.